1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and in particular to a method of designing a motor vehicle using a simulation system.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a motor vehicle may be required to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). In order to meet these safety standards, one or more safety systems in a motor vehicle can be tested during a crash test. As an example, motor vehicles may include air bag systems that deploy during a collision. A manufacturer may conduct a crash test to check compliance of air bags with one or more safety standards.
To detect a collision, a motor vehicle can include one or more sensors that are configured to detect acceleration information to determine if a collision has occurred. This acceleration information can be used to determine a calibration setting for the air bag system. In some cases, the calibration setting determines if the air bag system will fire. The calibration setting can also ensure that the air bag is deployed within a desired time frame, also referred to as a target time to fire (TTTF), during a collision. Methods of calibrating an air bag system for a motor vehicle typically require a manufacturer or part supplier to conduct a full scale collision to measure acceleration information during the collision.
In some cases, a manufacturer may conduct a motor vehicle collision in which a motor vehicle collides with another object. During the collision, the manufacturer may measure the accelerations experienced at one or more sensors during a collision. With this acceleration data, a manufacturer or part supplier may calibrate an air bag system to ensure that the air bag is deployed within a target time to fire during such a collision. However, this method requires a new motor vehicle to be constructed in order to perform the collision for the purpose of determining calibration information, which can increase manufacturing time and manufacturing costs.
The related art lacks provisions for decreasing the manufacturing costs and time associated with calibrating an air bag system. Furthermore, the related art lacks provisions that allow the design of a motor vehicle to be modified in order to optimize the calibration of an air bag system. There is a need in the art for a method that helps decrease manufacturing costs and development cycle time associated with calibration of an air bag system. There is also a need in the art for a method that optimizes the calibration of an air bag system.